The residential tower “Kristall” in Hamburg’s HafenCity is located directly on the waterfront. And is actually twin towers: on the south-facing side the two towers are offset from each other, but on the north side they are joined to one another. “Kristall” was designed by Dutch architecture studio KCAP Kees Christiaanse in collaboration with Cologne-based studio ASTOC.

Especially on the higher stories, the apartments offer fantastic views of Hamburg’s Holzhafen, HafenCity and the Elbphilharmonie concert hall under construction. The luxurious apartments offer living space of up to 360 square meters – while the deep balconies, loggia and roof terraces are equally spacious. So that the balconies can also be used on cooler days, many owners have opted for frameless glazing by Solarlux. The delicately designed SL 25 slide-and-turn system can be fitted above the glass balustrade and even when closed is barely visible, providing residents with unimpeded views.

Unlike systems based solely on sliding, this solution offers a much wider opening combined with a narrower guide rail: The glass elements are pushed to the side, turned and then fold away compactly. Thanks to the ball bearing technology they glide both easily and quietly. And when the Nordic climate takes a turn for the worse the light glass curtain can be quickly drawn again, shutting out the noise of the port at the same time. This means that even in spring and fall, the well-protected balconies remain attractive in almost all weather.